Silvio A. Graziadei

Silvio A. Graziadei, 83, of Amherst, passed away Saturday, December 24, 2011 at St. Joseph Hospital.

Silvio was born in Buffalo, NY on September 3, 1928, a son of the late Michael and Ida (Buono) Graziadei. He was the husband of Helene (Jasalavich) Graziadei of Amherst.

Silvio, better known to his friends and family as Sil and especially to all his European friends as Don Silvio, grew up in Buffalo, NY. He later moved to Boston, MA and then back to Buffalo. After graduating from Buffalo Technical High School he received his BS Degree in IA Education from New York State University Teachers College at Buffalo, NY. He then attended the Graduate Division, Newark College of Engineering in Newark, NJ for his Masters Degree in Management Engineering. He went on to receive his Certificate in Information Systems Management from the University of Southern California. After graduating college in 1952, he went to work for the Department of Defense and remained with them continuously until his retirement in 1994. In 1952 he began serving as an instructor in the Department of Specialist Training at The Signal School, Fort Monmouth, NJ where he taught radio and radar theory, operation, application, trouble shooting maintenance and repair of numerous Signal Corps systems and equipments. In 1961 he became a Supervisory Training Instructor at the US Army Signal School where he directed the activities of instructors engaged in teaching students the operation, adjustment, installation and maintenance of Signal Corps equipments. Four years later he became an Electronic Equipment Specialist in the European Tropospheric Army, Project manager’s Office where he served as technical specialist and advisor to the project manager. In 1966 he became the Chief in the Plans and Programs Division, UNICOM/STARCOM Project Managers Office, responsible for programming, planning and budgetary requirements for the European Office, where he remained until 1967. He was then promoted to the Chief of the Systems Management Division HQ US Army Strategic Communications Command-Europe (USASTRATCOM-EUR), responsible for overall monitoring and management implementation for the development of all communications systems and projects that the Army was putting in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, until he moved on the Acting Chief, Systems Management Directorate. In 1972, he began serving as Chief in the Plans and Operations Division of the US Army Communications Electronic Engineering Installation Agency Europe (USACEEIA-EUR) until 1978 when he became the Senior Executive Manager and Administrator. During this time he was awarded the Signal Corps Association Brevet Colonel Award. The award brings recognition to civilians in the communications field who make significant contributions to their unit’s mission. Sil was a lifelong member of the Signal Corps Association and was the first ever to be selected for the award. In 1987, he became the Civilian Deputy of the Headquarters United States Army Information Systems Engineering Command-Europe (USAISEC-EUR) with total responsibility with the Commander in the management, direction and supervision of a major Signal Corps field command, equal to a battalion in size. The unit consisted of 100 DoD Civilians, 200 officers and enlisted personnel and 100 third country local nationals. Upon returning to the United States in 1991, he became the Chief of the Base Realignment and Closure Office of the Army Materials Technology Laboratories in Watertown, MA where he was responsible for all managerial actions to remediate and close the base in accordance with mandate from Congress. He directed, supervised, planned, programmed and budgeted for the cleaning, dismantling, remediation and shipment of the Army’s only nuclear research reactor, as well as the relocation of 450 engineers, scientists and support personnel. In 1994, after 42 years with the US Government, he retired. After his retirement from the government, he began substitute teaching in local schools while at the same time preparing to obtain his Real Estate Licenses. He was currently working as a Mortgage Originator with Merrimack Mortgage Company, the former 1st New England Mortgage. He was a past member of the Rivier College Board of Directors, Rotary Club of Nashua, past president and past vice president of the Italian American Club of Greater Nashua, a 4th degree Knight of Columbus, the Elks and past president of the Worms Germany Chapter of Armed Forces communications Electronics Association (AFCEA). Sil loved traveling, especially back to Italy and Germany, reading, cooking his mother’s famous Italian recipes and was an avid Red Sox and Patriots fan. Most of all, he was a true family man. He will be missed by all hearts he touched. He was a communicant of Parish of the Resurrection. Silvio was predeceased by four brothers; Rocco, Tom, Michael and Oscar.

Besides his wife, Silvio is survived by Two sons, Michael Graziadei and Philip Graziadei both of Los Angels, CA; One sister, Phyllis Picardi of Buffalo, NY; Two sisters-in-law, Millie Grey of Buffalo, NY and Joan Kinney and her husband David; Also several nieces, nephews and cousins.

SERVICES: Visiting hours will be held on Monday (today), December 26, 2011 from 4 to 8 PM in the ANCTIL-ROCHETTE & SON FUNERAL HOME, 21 Kinsley St., Nashua. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Tuesday December 27, 2011 in Parish of the Resurrection, 449 Broad St., Nashua at 10:00 AM. Burial will follow in Holy Cross Cemetery, Hudson. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital or to the charity of one’s choice. For more information or to sign an on-line memorial, go to www.anctil-rochette.com. Services and arrangements have been entrusted to the care of the ANCTIL-ROCHETTE & SON FUNERAL HOME.